Used Baseballs, Personal Note Left At Sarasota’s Cal Ripken Youth Complex By Mystery Donor

SARASOTA, FL — An anonymous donor left a bag of well-loved, previously used baseballs with a personal note at Sarasota’s Cal Ripken Youth Baseball League complex at 2801 12th Street.

“Whoever takes these, please have fun,” the note read, according to a Monday night post from the youth league. “I miss my dad and I wish I could play catch with him one more time. #EndALZ”

#EndALZ is used on social media to show support of Alzheimer’s care and research.

The league’s president, Roger Miller, found the plastic grocery bag filled with baseballs hanging from a fence pole near the batting cages on Monday when he arrived early to get some work done at the facility.

“I thought maybe a team had left them out here, then I found the note,” he said.

After he talked with other board members, the Cal Ripken league set out to find the mystery donor, putting out a call for them on Facebook.

“It was such a kind gesture,” Miller said. “And with #EndALZ, we knew his father must have passed away from Alzheimer’s and we wanted to put the word out there on that.”

In a Facebook post, the league wrote, “To whomever left these at the park today, THANK YOU for sharing them with us. They will be put to good use by some of the kids in our league and their dads. #endalz.”

The organization invited the donor out to play catch with their players or volunteer with the league, promising they could stay anonymous if they preferred.

It didn’t take long for the mystery donor — who does wish to stay anonymous — to respond.

The donor lives across the street from the Cal Ripken complex and not far from the nearby Ed Smith Stadium, Miller said. While jogging near both facilities, he frequently picks up baseballs, some from the youth league, others from Major League Baseball training and minor league games.

Over the years, he amassed a small collection of these balls at his home. When he found them while spring cleaning, he immediately thought about his father and decided to bring them to the Cal Ripken league as a tribute, Miller said.

“He just wanted to go out there and play baseball with his dad. And right now, the news is so bad with Major League Baseball, he just wanted to bring attention to what baseball is for and what it’s all about — the camaraderie and playing with your friends and things like that— and not all the news you’re reading with the lockout and everything," the president said.

Miller invited him to the league’s opening ceremonies and annual barbecue fundraiser at the complex Friday night

“We wanted him to come out to the opening ceremony and to play catch with some of the kids, but he had something going on Friday,” he said. “Hopefully, he can come out sometime this season.”

The public is welcome to attend Friday evening’s ceremony and fundraiser, Miller added. Opening ceremony kicks off at 6 p.m.

The donor said that he preferred that all of the attention stay on the youth league players and their upcoming season, anyway.

“At the start of the season the story should be about the kids and the actual baseball being played, not a bag of balls from cleaning out my condo,” he said in a message to the league, which was shared on Facebook. “Whether it’s baseball, soccer, or something else, most of my childhood memories involve sports, and I hope your players all have a great year! If it’s the only baseball we get to watch, it should take the spotlight.”

The donor added, “My father would have wanted everyone to take an extra five minutes and play catch with their kids. If you are lucky enough to have your parents around, give them a hug or a call, and if you’re really lucky enough take the opportunity to play catch.”